TEACHER’S GUIDE WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? pdf

IN 1996, ELECTRIC CARS BEGAN TO APPEAR ON ROADS ALL OVER CALIFORNIA.
THEY WERE QUIET AND FAST, PRODUCED NO EXHAUST AND RAN WITHOUT GASOLINE.
TEN YEARS LATER, THESE CARS WERE DESTROYED.
WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2006
•
TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2006
TEACHER’S
GUIDE
“A QUIETLY SHOCKING INDICTMENT OF OUR
GAS-GUZZLING AUTO COMPANIES AND
THE PETRO-POLITICIANS WHO LOVE THEM.”
–KAREN DURBIN, ELLE MAGAZINE
NOTE TO THE TEACHER
Who Killed the Electric Car? is a powerful tool pertinent to many
academic disciplines and adaptable to a variety of abilities,
learning styles, and classroom goals. This rich, self-contained film
requires little or no additional research on the part of the instructor
or the class, but can be used as the foundation for independent
student research. The film divides neatly into two nearly equal and
independent segments that can be shown on successive days or
at different points in a unit. Both segments offer excellent
discussion opportunities.
The classroom experience of students taking courses on
environmental science or offerings that include a unit on air
quality or environmental concerns would be enriched by viewing
Who Killed the Electric Car?. Courses that encourage interest in
engineering and practical math applications would also benefit.
The ethical and civic questions that the film explores offer a natural
connection for teachers working in the area of civics, government,
ethics, and business ethics. In many of these courses the film could

be treated as a case study. The ethical questions raised are nearly
unlimited and a large variety of higher-level-thinking activities can
be developed from the film.
Included in this packet are discussion prompts, class activities,
and research suggestions.
1
FILM SUMMARY
Who Killed the Electric Car? is presented as a who-
done-it mystery. Staying true to this genre, the film
opens with necessary background information,
describes the crime committed, answering all of the
what, where, and when questions, and then in the
style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gathers the suspects for
close scrutiny, coming to a conclusion on the guilt or
innocence of each.
Opening with a bit of automotive history that
establishes the electric car as a competitive alternative
to the internal combustion engine, Who Killed the
Electric Car? takes the viewer back to the beginning
of the twentieth century and the dawn of the
automotive age. A straightforward explanation of why
gasoline beats out electricity as the fuel of choice and
how the internal combustion engine wins dominance
concludes the broad overview.
The film then moves to the recent past with the
introduction of the California Air Resources Board and
their 1990 decision to require that ten percent of all
cars sold in California by each car manufacturer be
zero-emission vehicles by the year 2003. The Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde response of automotive companies is

revealed; production and marketing of zero-emission
cars is detailed, a period during which the
legal and political teams of the same
manufacturers work to defeat the law that
gave birth to modern electric vehicles.
While several manufacturers are
included, the General Motors electric vehicle is
featured. As this segment concludes, the success of
the industry’s legal strategy is symbolized by a
celebrity-studded funeral for the electric car. This
segment is filled with factual analysis that examines
conflicting claims about emissions, practicality, costs
of various fuels, and consumer demand.
The second half of Who Killed the Electric Car? is
Sherlock Holmes at his best. The seven suspects
identified in the first half of the film are scrutinized. One
by one, consumers, batteries, oil companies, auto
manufacturers, the U.S. government, the California Air
Resources Board, and the newest villain, the hydrogen
car, pass under the bare bulb in the inspector’s
interrogation room in an attempt to answer the
question asked in the film’s title: Who Killed the
Electric Car? At the end of each segment the
featured suspect is judged as guilty or innocent.
The film ends on a positive note, recognizing a grass-
roots movement that envisions cleaner air and energy
independence. In a John Kennedy-style appeal, the
film claims that those who solve our energy
conundrum will be those that “change the world.”
2

SELECTED SCENES FOR CLASSROOM REVIEW
1:19
Two million new cars are sold in
California each year.
2:55
Cheap oil supports the combustion
engine over the electric car.
3:35
Air quality in California:
“Black cloud of death.”
4:32
Each gallon of gasoline burned yields
19 pounds of carbon dioxide.
4:55
Introduce S. David Freeman.
7:40
Creating demand for electric cars.
8:50
C.A.R.B. and California’s
zero-emission policy.
12:40
Cost to run an electric car equals
gasoline when gas is 60 cents per gallon.
14:10
Californians Against Utility
Company Abuse
16:10
G.M. claims to have built electric cars
according to demand.
19:10

Marketing; How far, how fast,
how much?
19:40
Television advertisement for G.M.’s
electric car.
21:21
Introduce Dr. Alan Lloyd of C.A.R.B.
22:10
Manufacturer’s lawsuit to
overturn emissions standards.
22:30
President Bush endorsing hydrogen
technology in the State of the Union.
22:43
Hydrogen Hummer and the
hydrogen highway.
23:20
C.A.R.B. hearing on the
emissions standards.
25:30
C.A.R.B. vote to kill the standards.
26:15
Manufacturers start to collect
the electric cars.
27:35
“Save the electric car” campaign,
including the mock funeral.
29:30
Last EV1 collected.
31:20

EV1s in a G.M. lot.
3
33:20
G.M. spokesperson explains the
fate of the collected EV1s.
35:30
PBS at the car crusher.
36:58
S. David Freeman, “We’re up against
most of the money in the world.”
37:15
Vigil for the EV1s.
38:40
Would you buy one of these electric
cars? Display check for 1.9 million
dollars offered to G.M.
39:20
“Who controls the future?
He who has the biggest club.”
39:34
Scene from Naked Gun 2
1
/
2
:
The Smell of Fear.
40:25
List of suspects.
40:58
Suspect: Consumers

43:20
Suspect: Batteries
46:38
Suspect: Oil Companies
50:36
Suspect: Car Manufacturers
56:20
Suspect: Government
1:03:57
Suspect: C.A.R.B.
1:07:02
Suspect: Hydrogen Fuel Cell
1:11:08
President Bush at a hydrogen
filling station.
1:15:05
Last cars moved.
1:18:52
Automotive Museum
1:20:30
Verdicts.
1:22:32
“The fight about the electric car was
quite simply a fight about the future.”
1:23:58
Introduce James Woolsey and
Plug In America.
1:27:19
“The one group of people that steps
up to take it on is the group that will

change the world.”
4
DISCUSSION PROMPTS
These prompts can be used for full-class discussion, small group conversations, or adapted for use as writing
assignments of varying length and detail.
• What compromises related to cars and transportation are you willing to make to preserve and improve air
quality? Brainstorm possibilities and then discuss each one, focusing on the average consumer.
• What one assertion in the film do you disagree with? Why?
• What one assertion in the film troubles you the most? Why?
• In your own words, explain why the car manufacturers collected and destroyed the electric vehicles.
• Did government serve the people in the case of electric cars? Why?
• Does government have the right to tell companies what to manufacture? Why?
• How important an issue is our nation’s dependence on oil? Explain.
• Do you agree that those who solve the energy question will change the world? Explain.
• Should the world oil supply be divided evenly according to population, given to those able to pay
the highest price, or reserved for developing nations? Explain your opinion.
• Is it acceptable for a nation to use oil as a weapon? Why/why not?
• Would you characterize each of the following as a good citizen or a bad citizen? Why?
-The oil companies -The automobile companies
-U.S. consumers -Scientists researching hydrogen fuel
-The citizens trying to save the electric car
• Is energy a national security issue?
Why/how? Explain.
• How is the use of hydrogen as a fuel
related to the reemergence of nuclear power?
• Does drilling for more oil in the
pristine wilderness make sense?
Why/why not?
• Given the information provided in the
film, do you believe electric cars are a

reasonable alternative to combustion
engines? Why/why not?
• Given the information provided in the
film, do you believe you will be able to
buy a hydrogen-powered car in the
next 10 years? 20 years? Ever?
Why/why not?
5
MOCK COURT
Choose defense and prosecution teams for each of the seven defendants identified in the film. Have the teams
prepare for a mock trial using the information in the film and if desired, additional research. Stage a trial with a
jury that has not seen the film.
Roles:
Judge: Acts as presiding officer maintaining order, resolving conflicts, and charging the jury.
Prosecution team: Presents evidence against the named defendant using witnesses, charts, graphs, and
physical evidence. The team would also cross-examine defense witnesses. The prosecution’s job is to prove
beyond a reasonable doubt the guilt of the defendant.
Defense team: Presents evidence that rebuts the prosecution’s view and may suggest alternative
perpetrators. The defense may use witnesses, charts, graphs, and physical evidence. The team would also
cross-examine prosecution witnesses. The defense’s job is to create reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the
defendant.
This activity can be used as an alternative assessment of student knowledge while also building critical
thinking and oral presentation skills.
6
COMMON GOOD
Open the activity by reading the paragraph below. Allow for a few minutes of general comment on the concept
of the “common good” and the claim by then G.M. president Charles E. Wilson:
What’s good for the country is good for General Motors and vice versa.
The preamble to the United States Constitution opens with the words: “We the People of the United
States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the

common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our
Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” These words imply a
common interest that is shared by citizens and government, a concept often referred to as the “common
good.” In 1953, the then president of General Motors, Charles E. Wilson, was nominated by President
Dwight Eisenhower to serve as his Secretary of Defense. During Wilson’s confirmation hearings, senators
were concerned that he would have difficulty making a decision that could hurt General Motors, a major
defense contractor, even if the decision was in the best interest of the United States. When asked this
question, Wilson assured senators that he could make such a decision but that he could not imagine such
a situation, “because for years I thought what was good for the country was good for General Motors
and vice versa.”
Student instruction
Who Killed the Electric Car? implies that the “common good” is not being served by the decision to abandon
electric vehicles and embrace hydrogen technology. Write your own definition of the “common good.” Make
groups of 3 to 5 and share these definitions. Try to agree on a group definition. Evaluate General Motors’ decision
to kill the electric car program in light of your group’s definition. Be ready to report your findings to the class. Do
Mr. Wilson’s thoughts from 1953 reflect the General Motors Corporation that is presented in the film? If the Senate
called the current president of G.M. to explain the death of the electric car, imagine what he might say that
would be quoted more than 50 years later.
7
HIDDEN AGENDA
Teacher introduction
As a class, brainstorm about the term “hidden agenda.” When you get all the ideas on the board, make groups
of 3 to 5. In groups, have the class discuss the ideas on the board and then write a definition of “hidden agenda”
that the group can agree on. As a class, share these definitions and create one working definition for the whole
class.
Have students return to their groups and discuss what “hidden agenda(s)” the following may have had. To make
a claim, the group must have at least one piece of solid evidence from the film. Each group should decide which
three of their claims are the strongest and prepare to present them to the class.
Present and discuss:
Automobile companies:

Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
Oil companies:
Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
Filmmakers:
Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
Car companies:
Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
Federal government:
Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
Fans of the electric car:
Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
C.A.R.B.:
Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
8
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF BUSINESS?
What is the role of business in a democratic/capitalist society? The complex interaction between business,
government, and consumers is presented as a case study in Who Killed the Electric Car?. After viewing the film,
clarify your own attitude toward the role of business, before any discussion, by using the prompts that follow.
Prioritize the entire list from 1, most important, to 10, least important, and then write just a sentence or two that
explains each ranking. Using your results, make groups that include individuals with different attitudes. While you
discuss the movie, analyze how different views of business influence opinions about the film.
______ The role of business is to make a profit.
______ The role of business is to make a good product.

______ The role of business is to serve the consumer.
______ The role of business is to support government.
______ The role of business is to educate government.
______ The role of business is to educate consumers.
______ The role of business is to improve life.
______ The role of business is to protect the environment.
______ The role of business is to provide consumers with choice.
______ The role of business is to invent solutions to society’s problems.
9
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT?
What is the role of government in a democratic/capitalist society? The complex interaction between business,
government, and citizens is presented as a case study in Who Killed the Electric Car?. After viewing the film,
clarify your own attitude toward the role of government, before any discussion, by using the prompts that follow.
Prioritize the entire list from 1, most important, to 10, least important, and then write just a sentence or two that
explains each ranking. Using your results, make groups that include individuals with different attitudes. While you
discuss the movie, analyze how different views of government influence opinions about the film.
______ The role of government is to defend the nation.
______ The role of government is to create a just society.
______ The role of government is to protect the consumer.
______ The role of government is to protect business.
______ The role of government is to regulate business.
______ The role of government is to educate consumers.
______ The role of government is to improve life for all citizens.
______ The role of government is to protect the environment.
______ The role of government is to provide consumers with choice.
______ The role of government is to invent solutions to society’s problems.
10
MAKING THE CASE
In the second half of Who Killed the Electric Car?, each of the suspects in this mystery is held up to scrutiny.
Acting as an unbiased detective, develop a list of the evidence offered for guilt and the evidence that indicates

innocence. In groups or as a class, use these evidence lists as the basis for a debate that leads to a vote on each
suspect.
The suspect___________________________________________________
Evidence to convict Evidence to acquit
11
A SONY PICTURES CLASSICS RELEASE ELECTRIC ENTERTAINMENT
PRESENTS A
DEAN DEVLIN/PLINYMINOR
PRODUCTION A FILM BY
CHRIS PAINE “WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?”
NARRATED BY
MARTIN SHEEN
EDITED BY
MICHAEL KOVALENKO CHRIS A. PETERSON
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
THADDEUS WADLEIGH
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY
MICHAEL BROOK
CONSULTING PRODUCER
ALEX GIBNEY
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
DEAN DEVLIN TAVIN MARIN TITUS RICHARD D. TITUS
PRODUCED BY
JESSIE DEETER
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY
CHRIS PAINE
FOR BRIEF MILD LANGUAGE.
WWW.WHOKILLEDTHEELECTRICCARMOVIE.COM WWW.SONYCLASSICS.COM
BRIAN DANIELS teaches history and ethics at
Hudson High School, Hudson, Massachusetts. He is the

school facilitator for the democratic school initiative at
Hudson High and an active member of the school’s First
Amendment Schools team. He has been teaching for
thirty years and holds bachelor’s degrees in history and
psychology from Boston College and a master’s
degree in critical and creative thinking from the
University of Massachusetts at Boston. He will become
the Curriculum Director for English and Social Studies
grades 6-12 in the Hudson school district in the summer
of 2006. He has been published several times in the
Boston Globe and has an article slated for publication
in October of 2006 in the National Social Studies
Supervisors Association magazine.